Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about our C/C++ courses, certification program and exams at Pearson VUE. For your convenience, the questions have been broken down into categories. If you have a question that isn’t covered here, please feel free to drop us a line here. We’ll do our best to give you a comprehensive answer.

With an increase in the need for IT positions and, at the same time, a rise in the number of programmers and software developers, it is becoming more and more important to showcase and validate your knowledge, especially when you are looking for a new job and are having to compete on the job market with dozens or even hundreds of other applicants.

The C++ Institute certification can be a powerful weapon in the race for better employment, first-rate expertise and greater competitiveness.

The certification can open doors to a better job and a better salary. It is a great motivator for self-improvement and self-development. It is one of the key requirements set by an increasing number of IT managers and, frequently, a standard criterion for candidates among recruiters.

The C++ Institute certification is proof to the employer that you possess the expertise necessary to fulfil certain duties. At the same time, it is a sign for them that you are willing to expand your knowledge. And because certified individuals directly contribute to an increase in a company’s efficiency, productivity and profit-making capacity, the C++ Institute certification is an asset for every organization.

In the survey conducted online from June 22 to June 24, 2016, among individuals who had passed a C++ Institute certification exam in the previous 24 months (The 2016 Value of C++ Institute Certification Report prepared by Fundacja IT and C++ Institute):

83% of respondents said that obtaining a C++ Institute certification had directly translated into receiving some career benefit.

62% of respondents said that obtaining a C++ Institute certification had a positive impact on professional image and reputation.

49% of respondents said that earning a C++ Institute certification had helped them to do their job more confidently.

41% of respondents claimed that learning new things was the biggest benefit from obtaining a C++ Institute certification.

42% of respondents said they had experienced the first benefit of obtaining a C++ Institute certification immediately, and 33% within 3 months.

Students should direct all questions about the course content to their course instructor. Students and instructors can also use a contact form that has been specially designed for this purpose to submit feedback to the C++ Institute for bugs, suggested edits, content typos, etc. For questions not covered in this document, all CPA: Programming Essentials in C++ and CLA: Programming Essentials in C questions should also be sent via the contact form.

Please read the FAQ and review the courseware before contacting the C++ institute staff. Thank you.

What is the difference between the Networking Academy course and the version offered directly by the C++ Institute? grzegczu
2016-12-02T13:55:47+00:00

Once the course has been published on the Cisco Networking Academy learning platform, the C++ Institute will gradually stop offering it to educational institutions via the C++ Institute Authorized Academy program. The existing C++ Institute Authorized Academies who wish to utilize the C++ Institute courseware will be encouraged to submit their applications for membership of the Cisco Networking Academy program to take advantage of this and other courses available as part of the Cisco Networking Academy curriculum.

Moreover, a course offered at www.netacad.com contains quizzes and lab exercises that are not offered in the publicly available self-study version of the course. After some time, the difference between the two versions of the course will become apparent, as the idea is to make the Cisco Networking Academy version specifically geared toward the needs and expectations of Cisco Networking Academy students and instructors.

What does it mean that a test assessment has a due date or deadline? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:17:32+00:00

This means you need to take that particular assessment before this date. Assessment deadlines (or due dates) are shown on your progress axis when you are logged in to your account at C/C++ Education Portal.

The word before is the keyword here. If you’re looking at your progress axis and below one of your assessments (e.g. Chapter 3 Assessment) you see two dates, for example: 2016-01-21 – 2016-03-10 (GMT), this means that this particular assessment remains open from January 21, 2016 till March 9, 2016 GMT inclusive. In other words, you can take this assessment on January 21, 2016 at the earliest and on March 9, 2016 at the latest.

How do I prepare for C++ Institute exams? grzegczu
2016-02-09T09:40:58+00:00

Well, yes you can, but please remember that when you take a particular assessment for the first time, this will count as your first attempt! If you just opened it to check the questions, you will score 0 points, and the assessment will remain open only for another 7 days. You can take each assessment up to three times as long as your score is below 80% and as long as you meet assessment deadline.

That’s why, please make sure you’re ready to take a chapter assessment before you click the Take Assessment button and select that particular test.

Well, you cannot do it. This has a specific purpose. First of all, we prefer that you focus on the learning content and not on the test answers as such. It is far better that you read the material once again and more carefully, and study it thoroughly to understand the concepts described in the chapters rather than focus on the test questions and answers. Our experience shows that such an approach results in a much better performance at exams. Second of all, your performance on the final test counts towards getting a discount voucher on your exam at Pearson VUE where you’re not able to get a detailed feedback on your answers, either. Third of all, please treat assessments as a way of showing you whether you’re ready for an exam or not.

From March 1, 2016, you are able to do quizzes as part of the courseware. Their role is to prepare you for chapter assessments. You are able to see there what answers you got wrong and why.

You are able to see the exact score only once – right after completing a chapter assessment. The test result pops up in the screen and disappears when you close the e-learning platform window.

If you score 80% or more in a chapter assessment, it is a sign to you that you are doing well in the course. 3 brown stars will appear above your assessment point on the course timeline. If you score 70%-79% in a chapter assessment, you will see 2 brown stars above the assessment point. If you score 60%-69% in a chapter assessment, 1 brown star will appear. In both cases you are doing well, there is no need to take the assessment again, however it will remain active for the following week so you can retake it if you wish.

If your score is below 60% (in which case only the assessment point will turn green and the stars will not turn brown), we strongly advise that you try to work harder and study the materials again to be well prepared and take the chapter assessment one more time. Even though you are not required to take it again, we encourage you to do so. That is why the option of taking each chapter assessment three times is there.

I’m doing a self-enroll course and I missed my assessment due date. Can you reactivate? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:19:58+00:00

We can reactivate such an assessment once in exceptional situations – please contact us and let us know what assessment or assessments you’d like us to reactivate for you. Please don’t forget to mention your username and the name of the course you’re doing. If you keep missing assessment deadlines repeatedly, we’re not able to reactivate them over and over again – this is the way the system works. There is a reward for those who study systematically.

If you have been unable to take your chapter assessment due to platform downtime or technical problems, please contact us, too. We will give you a time extension to make it possible for you to complete the course and get a discount voucher.

When you score less than 80%, the chapter assessment will remain active for another 7 days. At this time, it’s possible to take the assessment once again. You can re-take each assessment only two times. If you score 80% or more, this means your score is good and the re-take is not necessary – the chapter assessment will be closed and the higher score will be recorded in the system.

Please remember that the score you get on chapter assessments does not count towards getting a discount voucher. Its only role is to let you know how well (or how bad!) you have mastered the study material.

If you want to retake an assessment, just log in to your student account at C/C++ Education Portal and click the Take Assessment button. The tests available for retake will appear in the bottom of the list. Select the one you wish to retake.

What timezone is used for chapter assessments? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:20:29+00:00

If you completed the CPP course and met the above criteria, please contact us – the vouchers for the CPP exam are not distributed automatically. Just let us know that you’ve completed the CPP course and want to get a discount voucher for the CPP exam. Please provide your username, C++ Institute Testing ID (CPI ID), and the email address associated with your student account at C/C++ Education Portal.

I can’t sign up for the CPP or CLP course. Why? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:20:39+00:00

The CPP course (C++ programming – professional) is unlocked when you complete the CPA course (C++ programming – associate) and pass the CPA exam at a Pearson VUE Testing Centre. The CPP course will be unlocked after 7 days of passing the CPA exam. Sign in to your account at C/C++ Education Portal and select it from the list of courses available for you.

The CLP course is not available at the moment. We’re working hard on it!

I set up an account at C/C++ Education Portal. What next? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:20:47+00:00

Once you’ve completed the registration process, check your mailbox for your username and password that you are going to need to sign in to your account. Then sign up for one of the courses: CLA (C programming – associate) or CPA (C++ programming – associate). You can, of course, sign up for both courses and do both of them simultaneously, however we do not recommend this approach – it’s better to finish one course first, and then start another one.

Which one should you choose? Well, that depends on your preference and which certification path you wish to follow. If you are new to C/C++, we recommend that you start with the CLA course.

Yes, you can retake an exam after 15 days. If you paid a full exam fee or used a discount voucher granted upon successful completion of one of our self-enroll C/C++ courses, you are entitled to a free retake of your exam. Read more about the retake policy here (click the exam you wish to retake).

I want to reschedule or cancel an exam. How? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:21:20+00:00

You can reschedule or cancel a C++ Institute exam at least 24 hours prior to your exam appointment. You can change the date of your appointment or cancel an exam on your Pearson VUE web account – just sign in and move the exam to another available date or cancel it. If you experience any issues, please contact Pearson VUE Customer Service.

How do I schedule a C++ Institute exam? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:21:27+00:00

Our C and C++ exams are delivered in close cooperation with Pearson VUE through the network of over 5,000 Pearson VUE Testing Centres worldwide. If you’re looking for a Pearson VUE Testing Center near you, please use the Pearson VUE Testing Centre locator to find a convenient testing site.

Where can I verify my certification? grzegczu
2016-02-09T09:32:23+00:00

If you wish to authenticate a certificate issued to an individual, visit our Certificate Verification page and enter the candidate’s verification code for each certification they hold. After entering the verification code, you will be presented with authentication details relating to the holder of the certificate.

How much do C++ Institute exams cost? grzegczu
2016-04-13T10:47:05+00:00

Yes. After you pass a C++ institute exam at a Pearson VUE Test Center, your online certification will be issued within 7-10 days. You will get a confirmation email with a link to your digital transcript. The hard copy will be sent to you after 30-45 business days. From February 1, 2016, all the certifications are sent out as registered-letters, which means you can easily trace them online.

I want to enroll on the CLA or CPA course. How much time do I need to complete them? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:22:37+00:00

The CLA and CPA courses are available for you in the self-enroll and self-study mode. After you choose their starting date, you will have 2 weeks to take the first assessment, 3 weeks to do the second assessment, 4 weeks to do the third assessment, 5 weeks to do the fourth assessment, etc. […] and 11 weeks to do the final assessment. On registration, you are free to take the first eight chapter assessments. The mock and final tests are unlocked after 2 weeks of signing up.

This means that you can complete the course within 2-3 weeks at your fastest, or within 12 weeks in the regular pace.

If you fail to take assessments on time, you still have access to the courseware, but you’re not able to take the tests.

I want to open a Pearson VUE Testing Center. How? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:22:42+00:00

The most likely reason you’re not able to log in to your student account at the C/C++ Education Portal is because you’re using a wrong username. Your email address is not your username, and hence it will not let you log in. Your username is a separate string of characters sent to the email address you provided during registration at the C/C++ Education Portal.

If you haven’t changed your username, search for the first email you received from us. Your sign-in credentials will be there. If you haven’t received any email after registration, please check your spam folder, or contact us if necessary.

Are there any good books that teach C/C++ and prepare for your exams? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:23:20+00:00

There’s plenty of them. For a comprehensive list of C++ books for candidates at various levels of proficiency, please have a look at this question on Stack Overflow. If you’re looking for a good C book, you may want to check out this thread.

I discovered a mistake in one of your courses. Can I report it to you? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:23:28+00:00

Yes! We try hard to make sure the materials we publish are impeccable, however some things might still escape our attention. If you spot any mistakes, please do contact us using the contact form. If you wish to review the course and report mistakes on a regular basis, please contact us for further information – we will be happy to hear from you!

I’m doing a self-enroll C/C++ course. I need clarification on something. Is there a place where someone can help me? grzegczu
2016-01-25T14:11:16+00:00

We have our Forum and Facebook page for that, so if you would like to ask someone for help or clarification (or have something explained) – please ask there. By the same fashion, if there’s someone out there who asked for help and you are able to help them – get involved! That’s what makes our C/C++ Community the greatest C/C++ community in the world!

How do I get an exam discount voucher? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:23:52+00:00

If you’re doing one of our self-enroll C/C++ courses, you are able to get a discount voucher for your CLA or CPA exam at Pearson VUE!

To be able to request a discount voucher, you need to meet the following 3 conditions:

You need to take all the course assessments on time. The score does not matter here, it’s just necessary to do all the tests (0-1 through the mock test).

You need to score at least 70% on the final test. This is actually the only test in which your score counts towards getting the voucher!

You need to start your account for C++ Institute exams at Pearson VUE (www.pearsonvue.com/cpp/) to get your C++ Institute Testing ID, and connect it with your student account at C/C++ Education Portal (www.education.cppinstitute.org). As simple as that.

Do I have to pay for doing your C/C++ courses? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:23:58+00:00

There are plenty of ways how you can promote the idea of C++ Institute training and certification solutions:

Like our Facebook page, join us on LinkedIn, introduce yourself to the community, tell your friends about us, get involved in discussions, take our free courses, receive your exam discount voucher and get certified. That is the most desirable support that you may provide and the best service that you receive in return.

Participate in beta testing. Report bugs, report typos, make quiz questions, etc. There is a group of developers from all over the world who are already doing that! Contact us and find out how you can get involved.

Have your own C++ Institute Academy. There is already over a hundred authorized C++ Institute Academies and the number is growing fast. Have your own academy or inform local schools or education establishments about this initiative. Your effort will be rewarded.

Localize. The courses are in English. If you have resources and wish to volunteer to invest your time to localize those courses into your language – you are very much welcome to do that.

Be active on our official forum! Help others and get help from others.

I contacted you via email or contact form, but you never replied. Why? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:24:41+00:00

We usually respond to all your emails and messages within 1 business day. Most of them are answered on the same day. If you haven’t heard from us within 72 business hours of sending us a message, please check your spam folder – it’s possible our message sent to you has landed there!

Please add our domain names cppinstitute.org and cppinstitutemail.org to trusted domain list. In this way you will make sure all the emails we send to you are delivered to your mailbox. Thank you!

If you contacted us on Facebook, please don’t send another email – someone will reply to your message there. By the same fashion, if you contacted us via the contact form, there’s no need to send us another message directly by email. Thank you!

I contacted you via email or contact form. When will you reply? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:24:46+00:00

If you contacted us Monday-Friday till 4:00 p.m. (GMT), you should hear from us on the same or the following day. Because most of us do not work on weekends, it may take us a little longer to respond to your emails sent to us on Saturday and Sunday, or after 4.00 p.m. (GMT) on Friday. We will reply to all such emails on Monday, the following week. We’re sorry for this inconvenience and at the same time want to thank you for being understanding.

I know a person who is certified but their abilities leave much to be desired. Why? grzegczu
2016-01-21T14:24:54+00:00

In achieving certification you demonstrate that you possess particular knowledge and skills. However, you must remember that certification is one of many factors that can make a good specialist. Any programming certification is a great asset, but it works best if it goes along with such things as experience, good soft and communication skills, attitude, motivation, effectiveness and high work ethics. All these factors can make a difference.

A valuable C/C++ certification may be considered a powerful asset in the race for better employment opportunities by showcasing your expertise and higher competitiveness rate.

The need for highly complex and specialized industry-relevant skills is bigger than ever now. C++ Institute certification track, as an industry-recognized certification, will not only provide an objective verification of your skills, but it will also demonstrate that you have achieved a particular standard and that you care for developing your programming knownledge.

Having a certificate makes your position on the labour market much stronger. Whenever your resume suggests that you have certain skills or that you know certain programming languages – you will need to prove it. Even given a chance to prove it during an interview, you already need to show that you know C, C++, Java, or any other programming language.

You can prove your programming skills by showing:

A valid certificate,

Your previous jobs in programming,

Your previous projects in programming,

All of the above.

The very learning is a process so you should do everything that is possible to make this process easy, uninterrupted and systematic. When you prepare for a certification exam, you do it much better and more intensively than when you do so purely for pleasure. A certification exam has a vital positive influence on your educational process.

C++ Institute was established with a purpose to promote the C/C++ programming languages, provide a global framework for C/C++ examinations as well as enhance, develop and support professional careers in C/C++ programming and related technologies.